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CES: BodyMedia introduces a new Core 2 fitness tracker, with some other interesting ideas
BodyMedia has become a regular stop on our annual CES tour -- the company introduced its first Bluetooth-enabled, smartphone-connected fitness tracker a few years ago -- and since then, they told us this year here in Las Vegas, the smartphone versions of the tracker are outselling more traditional versions "by far." As a result, the company's latest tracker, called the Core 2, is of course designed to sync up almost completely through your iPhone. The device is smaller than ever -- over 40 percent smaller than the current model, and so small, says the company rep, that "the main element is really the strap." The Core 2 isn't only thin, but it also ditches the micro USB port, which means the unit is now essentially waterproof. It comes with a separate Bluetooth dongle (to be used in a computer, in case the user doesn't have a Bluetooth-enabled phone), and can be synced up and charged by being placed in that dongle. Just like all of the other BodyMedia trackers, the Core 2 keeps track of a number of different fitness statistics, including steps taken, calories burned and the duration and potency of whatever activity you undertake. The company has always used a web app called the Activity Monitor to track users' input, but as smartphones became more and more prevalent, the free iOS app has been updated to track more features and even sync live with the device directly. The Core 2 isn't yet priced, but it should be "comparable" to the company's current US$149 offering, according to the rep, when it's finally released in August of this year. By the end of the year, BodyMedia also wants to add in one of the most requested features of its devices, and set it up to also record a user's heart rate. There will need to be an extra accessory for that, as it's not possible to pick up a heart rate with just an upper armband. But the Core 2 has that functionality ready to go, and when the other accessory is ready, the Core 2 should already be compatible with it. The company's also planning to update the app for Android. And before I left the booth here at CES, BodyMedia showed me one other idea they're working on: A disposable version of the fitness tracker, basically a stick-on bandage with a chip stitched inside of it. The stick-on strip is designed to be worn 24 hours a day (including through showers and in the pool) for seven days, at which point users can cut open the bandage, plug the chip into a PC via USB, and then transfer all of the stats off of it. There's no price or release date yet planned for the disposable version, and it's basically not much more than a prototype at this point. But it is a very interesting take on the growing fitness tracker market, and it could convince a lot of people who don't want to deal with pulling a tracker on and off all the time to take the plunge. BodyMedia's plenty busy these days, and these products should move the company forward even more when they hit later on this year. We'll keep an eye out for the Core 2 when it finally reaches store shelves in August.
Hands-on with eFun's Nextbook 7GP and 8GP budget-friendly tablets
Not content with showing off its handy aPen Touch8 for those Windows 8 laptops which lack touch capabilities, eFun also let us play around a bit with two of its newest Nextbook tablets here at CES 2013. For starters, the 7GP, as its moniker would indicate, is a 7-inch (1024 x 600) slate that's sporting Android 4.1, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU alongside 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage. The 8GP, on the other hand, is a tad bit larger than its sibling with an 8-inch, 1024 X 768 IPS display but boasts pretty identical internals, so essentially you'd be spending 40 more bucks for a little more screen real estate. Speaking of which, while one of the tablets biggest features could be their relatively small price tag, eFun kept emphasizing to us how it believes the fact that they are Google-certified is perhaps the most important thing -- and yes, the ability to have Mountain View's Play store is definitely worth mentioning. Much to our disappointment, however, we weren't able to download any applications from Google Play or, for that matter, even browse the web, though that's not the company's fault, since having thousands of souls packed in a room makes for some very unreliable WiFi connectivity. Internet issues aside, both the 7GP and 8GP were rather smooth and quick when doing every-day tasks such as opening up apps and swiping between pages -- which is likely due to the pair feeding off of Google's Project Butter. Furthermore, were quite happy to find how thin-and-light the tablets are, with both Nextbooks being slightly thinner than something like, say, the Nexus 7 or the 7-inch Kindle Fire. All in all, eFun's 7GP and 8GP aren't too bad a choice for those looking to keep spending to a minimum, but at $130 and $170, respectively, there's no doubt that shelling out some extra cash can still get you much, much more bang for your buck elsewhere.
CES 2013: Shazam adds TV (and TV ads) to its music finding service
Shazam's Executive Vice President of Marketing, David Jones, kindly found some time to meet up with me during CES 2013 today, and we chatted about what the company has been up to lately. You probably remember Shazam from their very early days on the iPhone as a music-finding app (you can use the app to "listen" to any music you hear, and it will tell you the artist and title of the song), but in the past few years the company has grown to be a lot more than that. Specifically, instead of just finding music, Jones says the big push for the company lately is in recognizing television shows and television ads. The company's two biggest news stories out of CES have nothing to do with iOS: The Shazam app is going to come pre-installed on a series of Android phones, and the service is also joining the QNX car audio architecture. But both of those new developments are really signals that Shazam has grown way beyond its now humble iOS roots. The app can now be used to identify any television broadcast, and the company has joined up with over 200 brands, and more all the time, to try and make every TV ad "Shazam-able" as well. Jones said that Shazam not only fingerprints every broadcast, but even the specific time of every broadcast, so the company can know exactly when and where you set the app to listen in. "We can make TV ads, for the first time ever, interactive," Jones told me. Shazam's monetization strategy is a patchwork quilt of different deals and techniques: Generally, the company will make content "Shazamable" for free, but will then ask the broadcaster to somehow mention (either via a quick explanation or just a logo on the bottom of the screen) that Shazam is enabled. As a result, says Jones, Shazam has picked up about 10 billion impressions from TV in the last year, which not only drives users back to the iOS app, but also just raises awareness among users that they can "Shazam" shows and ads. Shazam also deals in sponsorships and advertising, and will sometimes make money off of referral links directly into iTunes or other marketplaces. As Shazam has opened up into tracking more and more content, the company's technology has gotten better as well. Right around this time last year, the company started doing "live ingestion" which means that as soon as something was broadcast, it could be identified by the app. And better search and find algorithms mean that identifying a broadcast is faster than ever. When Shazam actually finds your program, it provides you with a list of options and content related to it. For TV shows, it can pull up cast information, or, Jones says, a very popular option that lists music heard in the show. Sportscasts are one of the most Shazam-ed forms of content, and when those shows are brought up, Shazam can show sports scores around the league, and can even time them out to the exact point in the broadcast that Shazam was listening in (if a user happened to be watching a game on DVR, for example, and didn't want the results of other games spoiled). Live music shows are another popular choice for Shazamed content, and awards shows are big as well: Jones expects a lot of traffic for the upcoming Golden Globes show. Of course the Super Bowl is a big win for Shazam, and Jones says we can expect the app to show up in the worldwide broadcast at some point (though he said details on exactly what that will entail are still being kept secret for now). Jones says there's still plenty of room to grow for Shazam. The company has done all of this pushing on TV and ads even while keeping its music-finding business going (and growing), so that part of the app is still very important. 2013, said Jones, will likely be dedicated to continuing to grow the TV ads business, but there are plenty of other places for Shazam to go, including radio, and even inside retail stores (so you could hold a phone up in a retail store, and automatically get information about not only the music playing, but any current sales or promotions on what you're shopping for). Shazam started out early on the iPhone with its music history, but there's a lot more left for this company to do.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: the Engadget Podcast with Ashley Esqueda, Nicole Scott and Sascha Pallenberg (update: video embedded)
It's day two of CES, as there's already plenty to talk about. Thankfully, we've got plenty of guests to discuss all the news with, including Techfoolery's Ashley Esqueda and Nicole Scott and Sascha Pallenberg from Mobile Geeks. January 9, 2013 11:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Boogie Board Sync simulates the scribbling experience, syncs with your stuff
What's this? A non-iPad tablet on TUAW? The Boogie Board Sync isn't really a tablet, it's a writing surface which happens to sync with your Mac or iOS device. The purpose of the Boogie Board line, which has been around for a while, is to provide an eWriter tablet which feels a lot like actually writing with pen and paper and uses no power to display your writing. To do this, maker Improv Electronics uses something called Reflex LCD tech, the practical upshot being your scribbles stay on the screen without the need for a power source. Also, Improv Electronics has worked hard to get the feel of writing just right, which makes this a pleasant experience overall. As an added bonus, Boogie Boards are incredibly durable and light. Why would you use a Boogie Board? Previous models were not that compelling for us, but this year there's the Sync, which sports a 9.7-inch writing surface (measured diagonally). If you've ever been frustrated by sketching or scribbling on the iPad, you might enjoy the simplicity and feel of the Boogie Board, plus it offers pressure sensitivity. Yes, it uses a stylus, but that's sort of the point here, like a Wacom tablet. If you prefer the feel of writing when taking notes, you'll understand. No stylus I've ever used on an iPad has provided this sort of feel. Note apps which attempt to ignore your hand resting on the iPad screen are also not as good as a dedicated device, either. Oh, and the screen is obviously bigger, also a plus for notes and drawings. Boogie Board Sync can save hundreds of doodles on an SD card, then send them over via Bluetooth. There's also a USB port, but whichever you use to sync you'll need to download an app (not yet available). Something our readers may particularly enjoy is built-in support for Evernote. I wasn't able to see it in action, but the vector files captured can be instantly emailed or saved into Evernote for your convenience. The iOS software was in beta when I saw it here at ShowStoppers (one of several side events during CES), but it worked just fine. The Sync will be available by Q4 of this year and should cost US$100. If you're looking for a different sketching or note-taking experience and you love handwritten notes (or Evernote), it should be a good companion to your Mac or iDevice.
CES 2013: Duo Gamer controller sees success after a half price cut
We posted about the Duo Gamer iPhone controller back when it first released in October of last year, but I hadn't gotten a chance to try it out yet. Fortunately, Duo is here on the floor of CES this week, and they of course had the controller on display and available for a demo. It's actually a really great controller -- the form factor is a little strange, but the buttons are quite responsive and the analog sticks are especially impressive, something that not a lot of iOS controllers have gotten right. Plus, the Duo Gamer is actually half the price it was when it started out. The company dropped the price from US$79.99 to just $39.99 late last year, and the company's rep says that (surprise) sales have gone up considerably since the price drop. So where's the catch? The biggest problem with the Duo Gamer is that because Duo has made a deal with Gameloft, this controller only works with Gameloft's games. Those games aren't bad -- they include big iOS hits like NOVA, the Asphalt series and Gameloft's Warcraft clone Order and Chaos Online. But that's it -- if you want to use the controller with any other titles, you're out of luck. That's kind of a shame. And Duo's representative told us that there were absolutely no plans to open up the controller at all. The company picked Gameloft to pair up with because it believed those were the most console-like apps on the store (not necessarily an invalid claim), and Duo says that even if it wanted to allow other app developers to make their apps compatible with the Duo Gamer, that decision would be out of their hands. Which is too bad -- it'd be nice if a solid controller like this had a more open API (stay tuned for news on the Phone Halo controller, which has a slightly more promising future). The Duo Gamer is a good piece of hardware, and it provides an impressive way to control these games. If you're a fan of Gameloft's titles and would like to use some buttons to control them, this is obviously a great option for you.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Nuance's Vlad Sejnoha (update: video embedded)
We'll be talking about the potential of voice recognition with Nuance, the company behind the popular Dragon NaturallySpeaking and features in hardware like Samsung's Smart TVs. The company's CTO Vlad Sejnoha will be joining us on the stage. January 9, 2013 7:30 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Tethercell wants to re-imagine batteries
Tethercell's "re-imagining" of your run-of-the-mill AA battery, is more of a remote-controlled battery and is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo. Of course, we wouldn't write it up if there wasn't an app, and with the app there's actually quite a lot of cool stuff you can do with the Tethercell. I saw a prototype at the annual ShowStoppers event (held during CES), and it worked well and looked like a winner -- if it gets funded, of course. Besides a simple remote control, the Tethercell can be programmed to turn on or off at certain times, control several devices at once, and even warn you when batteries are getting low. The Tethercell hardware (still in prototype phase) is clever, as you take a AA battery out of a device, put a AAA battery in the Tethercell, and because it is the size of an AA, you can simply drop it in and it works. Even if you have multiple batteries, it fits just fine. But first the inventors need to get funding, and they are asking for US$59,000 to get started. Each Tethercell should cost about $30, and I was told buying more would make them cheaper per unit. While it's not a real product yet, Tethercell has so far been one of the cooler items I've seen at CES this year.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Lenovo's Jerry Paradise (update: video embedded)
It's only the second week of January and it's already been an eventful year for Lenovo. There's the newly minted ThinkPad X1 Carbon to talk about -- and that whole Lenovo Business Group / ThinkPad Business Group split to talk about. The company's Executive Director of Worldwide Product Marketing, Jerry Paradise will be on-hand to answer our questions and show off some of the company's latest laptops. Update: video embedded
Rapoo H9080 wireless headphones promise mellow bass, 10 hour battery life
Wireless home theater cans? A dime a dozen these days -- luckily, we're still suckers for a handsome charging dock. Debuting in the halls of the Las Vegas convention center are Rapoo's H9080 Home Entertainment Wireless Headphones, a leather-clad pair of audio earmuffs that promise deep, on-demand bass boosting and clean treble tones. Rapoo attributes the sets' audio fidelity to COM-Ti membrane vibration technology, ensuring a pure and mellow sound. A handsome charging cradle keeps your headphones from getting lost, whilst juicing it up for 10 hours of use for every three hours on the cradle. The company isn't ready to trot out a price tag just yet, but says the headphones will be available in the first quarter of 2013.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Toshiba's Scott Ramirez (update: video embedded)
At 6:30, our resident HD expert, Richard Lawler, will be talking TVs with Scott Ramirez, Toshiba's VP, Product Marketing and Development, Visual Products. Join us after the break, won't you? January 9, 2013 6:30 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with rally car driver Ken Block (update: video embedded)
What's that? Not enough race car drivers on our CES 2013 stage? Great news! Resident automotive obsessive Tim will be talking to professional rally car driver and YouTube star Ken Block about all things fast. January 9, 2013 6:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
FCC working to expand WiFi spectrum, wants to avoid wireless 'traffic jam'
Ever suffer through the painfully slow bottleneck of public WiFi? Sure you have -- Airports, coffee shops, even your neighbor's unprotected home network are limited by the current WiFi spectrum. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says it's a problem, and wants to clean up the mess. Speaking with Gary Shaprio at CES, Genachowski revealed that he's been working with the DoD and other Government agencies open up more bandwidth for WiFi. Areas like New York City have an abundance of spectrum set aside for TV licenses, he says, airwaves that could serve the public better for WiFi or cellular networks. "The rest of the world is watching us," he told Shapiro. "We have to get it right... ...we need to have a nationwide, unlicensed, continuous, same-frequency platform for innovation." To do that, the FCC will need to wrench spectrum from the hands of broadcasters, and redistribute it. "We can reorganize it and ensure everybody gets a good share." It's an uphill battle, but one the chairman recognizes as important. "We predict a WiFi traffic jam, and we need to fix it... ...WiFi is such an integral part of our broadband ecosystem, and we need to make sure that we pay it sufficient attention." Check out the rest of Shaprio and Genachowski's dialog in our ongoing liveblog.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with the EFF's Julie Samuels (update: video embedded)
The topic no one wants to talk about at CES? Yep, it's gonna be a half-hour of frank patent litigation talk with the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Julie Samuels. If you care at all about legal kerfuffles, you're not gonna want to miss this one. January 9, 2013 5:30 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
TUAW TV Live: Victor Agreda live from CES 2013
Today we've got a bit of a surprise in store for you -- TUAW editor-in-chief Victor Agreda, Jr. is in Las Vegas this week covering CES, and he'll be joining us for part of the show to talk about what's new, exciting, and different for Apple fans. I'll also have a free Macworld/iWorld iFan pass valued at US$100 to give away to one viewer. You'll just need to be able to make it to San Francisco on your own dime; we're just providing the pass. Still, this is a great opportunity for someone to meet with the TUAW team at Macworld/iWorld, which will take place January 31 - February 2, 2013 at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, CA. Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. You'll be watching the show in glorious HD! Prefer using IRC? We're on IRC server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv. If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat. In addition, the live stream and chat will be available through our Facebook page. Just point your browser here to watch the show and chat with other viewers while you're on Facebook. We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with MakerBot's Bre Pettis (update: video embedded)
Yep, it's a big year from 3D printing, and no company's got a bigger piece of the spotlight than MakerBot. The company used last year's show to announce the release of the first generation Replicator, releasing its successor a few months back. We've asked the company's CEO Bre Pettis back to our stage to discuss the 3D printing revolution. January 9, 2013 5:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Sprint's Trevor Van Norman (update: video embedded)
It's time for a little carrier love. First up is the Now Network, who just happened to take the wraps of its pay-as-you-go service. We'll be speaking with Trevor Van Norman, the carrier's director of product marketing. January 9, 2013 4:30 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Polaroid's Scott Hardy (update: video embedded)
Polaroid is a company in flux. CEO Scott Hardy made that clear when we sat down with him back at Photokina back in September. Will the iconic camera company be able to reinvent itself in this age of ubiquitous cameraphones and Instagrams? We'll get his take after the break. January 9, 2013 4:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Matias updates the Tactile Pro to version 4, announces Mini Tactile Pro keyboard, we go hands-on (video)
We've written a few love-notes about Matias' mechanical keyboards before, which is why its CEO had to take out a restraining order. But even the threat of legal action couldn't prevent us from sharing the news that the company has updated its coveted Tactile Pro and swelled the range to include the Mini Tactile Pro. Both units come with a three-port USB 2.0 hub, while the portable version now has a secondary connector cable that you can keep stowed in your laptop bag for satisfyingly noisy typing on the go. The flagship will cost $150 and is available today, while its dinky equivalent will be available later this month for $130. Interested in learning more? Join us down town after the break.
Synaptics Sensa grip-sensing tablet concept hands-on
Synaptics may have designs on becoming a keyboard company, but at heart, it's a touch and sensor company. It's realized that as tablet bezels get smaller, the greater the chance you'll suffer unintended touches from the meaty parts of your paw. We've just spent time at a behind-closed-doors demonstration of Sensa, a grip-sending tablet that can work out which hand is you're using to hold the device and therefore ignore its commands. Interested? We called it a read more link for a reason.
